The Day of the Triffids

John Wyndham

Sep 2008 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

FROM THE CLASSIC SCI-FI WRITER AND AUTHOR OF THE CHRYSTALIDS

When a freak cosmic event renders most of the Earth's population blind, Bill Masen is one of the lucky few to retain his sight. The London he walks is crammed with groups of men and women needing help, some ready to prey on those who can still see. But another menace stalks blind and sighted alike. With nobody to stop their spread the Triffids, mobile plants with lethal stingers and carnivorous appetites, seem set to take control.

The Day of the Triffids is perhaps the most famous catastrophe novel of the twentieth century and its startling imagery of desolate streets and lurching, lethal plant life retains its power to haunt today.

'One of those books that haunts you for the rest of your life' Sunday Times

'I had forgotten just how real this 1951 classic seems - and am impressed by how eerily relevant it now appears' The Observer

'Remains fresh and disturbing in an entirely unexpected way' The Guardian

Ratings and reviews

After many years I found a copy of this book and started to read it again. For me, a kind of Ray Bradbury reader, it was great to compare and understand the kind of tragedy that Wyndham suggest. Its sad that any of the great flm makwers filmed it, the right way. Do not miss this story before finishing secondary school.

I'm about 1/3 into the book and it's got to the point I'm forcing myself to read. The use of language is odd and a bit posh. The story is wrapped up in a sort of unpleasant manner emanating from the main character.

So many books and movies are based on this. If you like the walking dead, you'll recognise many themes. Sometimes the writing is a bit stodgy, but the ideas make up for it

About the author

John Wyndham was born in 1903 in the Midlands. After leaving school, he tried his hand at several careers, including farming, law and advertising, before starting to write stories in 1925. During the war he worked as a censor in the Ministry of Information and afterwards served in the Army. The Day of The Triffids was published in 1951, and was followed by many other famous works of science fiction, including The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids and The Midwich Cuckoos. Wyndham died in 1969.